Rigoletto at Miller Outdoor Theatre Houston Grand Opera reprises performances of its much acclaimed production of Verdi’s Rigoletto – with free public performances on May 15-16, 2009 at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. Download Press Release.
HGO and the Economy Houston Grand Opera General Director Anthony Freud and members of the company’s Senior Management Team met today with company members to discuss the impact of the economic downturn. This was a follow-up to a company meeting in October, at which Mr. Freud announced the approach that management and company would adopt during the downturn. Download Press Release
Maria Callas Exhibit The Hellenic Parliament Foundation for Parliamentarism and Democracy, The General Consulate of Greece, Houston and The General Consulate of Italy, Houston in cooperation with Houston Grand Opera present a tribute to one of the most renowned opera singers of the twentieth century- Maria Callas, beginning April 11, 2009 and closing on May 11 in the lobby of the Wortham Theater Center in Houston, Texas. Download Press Release
Previn's Brief Encounter HGO presents its 39th world premiere with André Previn’s second opera Brief Encounter, an opera in two acts, based on the play Still Life and the screen play to the 1945 David Lean film Brief Encounter, both by Noël Coward. Brief Encounter opens May 1, 2009 with performances through May 9. Download Press Release Download Calendar Release
Verdi's Rigoletto HGO continues its 54th season with Verdi’s haunting and tragic tale Rigoletto. Rigoletto, which was last performed at HGO in 2001, returns to the Wortham Theater Center with a powerful new staging of Michael Yeargan’s classic production that was inspired by Italian painter Giorgio di Chirico. Download Press Release Download Calendar Release
Houston Grand Opera offers Summer Opera Camps Houston Grand Opera has a creative way for children to have fun and show off their artistic side this summer. HGO will offer three sessions of its popular Opera Camp, designed for children entering grades 3-12. Download Press Release
Houston Grand Opera Announces Winners of the 20th Annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers HGO held its annual Concert of Arias, the final round of the twentieth annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers, on February 8, 2007 at the Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston. Download Press Release
Houston Grand Opera Announces the 2009/2010 Season Houston Grand Opera General Director and CEO Anthony Freud today announced details of the company’s 2009-10 season, which runs from October 23, 2009 to May 14, 2010 with thirty-one performances of six operas. Download Press Release
Houston Grand Opera Presents CityCast: A Free HD Simulcast HGO’s First Live HD Simulcast to Discovery Green and Five HISD School Locations On February 7, 2009, for the first time in four years, Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will offer a free live simulcast of its newest production, Chorus! from the stage of the Wortham Theater Center in downtown. Download Press Release
Three Decembers CD HGO is pleased to announce the commercial release of its 38th world premiere, Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers, on the Albany label, December 1, 2008. Three Decembers, which had its premiere on February 29, 2008 at the Wortham Center in Houston, has been called “a touching ‘peeling back’ of family secrets” by The Houston Chronicle and “a score filled with pleasures” by Opera Today. Download Press Release.
HGO Presents Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream HGO Continues its Britten Cycle with a new production by award winning director Neil Armfield. Opens Friday, January 23, 2009. Download Press Release.
Houston Grand Opera Presents Chorus! HGO continues its 2008-2009 season with Chorus!, a new work conceived by award winning director David Poutney featuring various composers, opening January 30, 2009 with performances through February 13. Download Press Relase.
Houston Grand Opera Presents A Midsummer Night's Dream HGO continues its multi-year Benjamin Britten cycle and its 2008-2009 season with Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, opening January 23, 2009 with performances through February 6. Download Press Release.
Houston Grand Opera and The Tasting Room Present Taste This! A cabaret-style performance at The Tasting Room at Uptown Park featuring Houston Grand Opera’s talented Studio artists on October 6, 2008. Download Press Release.
Houston Grand Opera to Present its Premiere Staging of Berlioz's Beatrice and Benedict HGO) continues the 2008–2009 season with Berlioz’s Beatrice and Benedict, based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, in the Brown Theater at the Wortham Theater Center. The production opens on October 30, 2008, with performances continuing through November 14, 2008. Download Press Release.
HGO Opens 2008/2009 Season with Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci The double bill of verismo operas plays at the Wortham Theater Center October 17 – November 1, 2008. “We kick off the season with a truly grand evening of opera,” explained HGO’s General Director and CEO Anthony Freud, OBE. “These two highly accessible and realistic works come together to provide the audience with two love affairs, two centuries, and a fantastic night of passion.” Download Press Release.
Houston Grand Opera Takes Opera Camps to Houston's Communities This summer, HGOco, Houston Grand Opera’s education and community programs department, will partner with Project Row Houses and YES Prep Public School Southeast Campus for Create an Opera camp projects. Students, with the help of HGO and community teaching artists, will produce their own original musical work– adapting a story into a libretto; composing music; creating costumes, props and scenery; and performing a fully staged opera for an audience of family and friends. This venture will mark the first time that HGOco has ever taken the Opera Camp activities outside of HGO’s home at the Wortham Theater Center and into Houston’s communities. Download Press Release.
HGO Receives $250K Grant from Hearst Foundation Houston Grand Opera has received a $250,000 grant from the William Hearst Foundation to support its Student Performance Series and Teacher Workshops. Download Press Release.
Houston Grand Opera 2007-2008 Annual Meeting Houston Grand Opera Association, Inc. held its annual meeting on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at the United Way of Houston. Download Press Release.
Houston Grand Opera General Director Anthony Freud Elected Chairman of Opera America Anthony Freud, OBE, General Director and CEO of Houston Grand Opera has been elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of OPERA America, the national service organization for opera. The election took place at the annual OPERA America conference 2008 in Denver on June 11. Dowload Press Release.
HGO's 36th World Premiere Released on Albany Records Houston Grand Opera is pleased to announce the commerical release of its 36th world premiere, Christopher Theofanidis's The Refuge on the Albany label, May 1, 2008. Download Press Release.
Houston Grand Opera's Nexus Initiative Brings New Audience to La bohème May 3 Like most of Houston Grand Opera’s performances of La bohème, the May 3, 2008 matinée performance is very nearly sold out. Unlike the audience at other performances, the May 3rd matinée audience is made up of people who have three things in common: most of them have never been to the opera before, or have attended only occasionally, they are all coming to the performance thanks to Houston Grand Opera's Nexus Initiative, and they all paid $10.00 for their tickets. Download Press Release. (4/30/08)
Houston Grand Opera Studio Baritone Wins Award HGO Studio artist Liam Bonner was named as a finalist and given title of Laureate in the First International Pavel Lisitsian Baritone Competition in Moscow. Download Press Release. (4/22/2008)
Houston Grand Opera Hosts NPR's From the Top First time radio show has appeared in Houston. Young musicians from the Houston area to perform. Download Press Release. (3/14/2008)
Houston Grand Opera Announces 2008/2009 Season Houston Grand Opera General Director and CEO Anthony Freud, OBE, today announced details of the company’s 2008–09 season, which runs from October 17, 2008, to May 9, 2009, with thirty-four performances of six operas. Download Press Release. (2/12/2008)
